International Accord at the OECD Forum on Due Diligence in the Garment and Footwear Sector

Accord

February 18, 2023

Event

The OECD Forum on Due Diligence in the Garment and Footwear Sector was held online and offline (Paris, France) from 13-17 February 2023. The forum brought together representatives from government, business, trade unions, and civil society to promote transparency and due diligence in global garment supply chains.

In his capacity as the Dutch OECD National Contact Point, our Executive Director Joris Oldenziel moderated the session Due diligence costs and responsibilities: Collaborative approaches to buyer supplier relationships.

Speakers Sarah Dadush, Rutgers Law School, Xiaohui Liang from China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC), Michael Bride from PVH and Anant Ahuja from Shahi Exports shared current examples, challenges and benefits of buyer-supplier collaboration models on shared due diligence implementation.

The session underscored that human rights due diligence is a shared responsibility for all actors in the garment supply chain. Michael Bride from PVH Corp emphasised upon the central role played by brands and the need for responsible business conduct. Sharing his thoughts as an exporter, Anant Ahuja highlighted the need to focus on innovative ways to carry out due diligence by focusing on training, retaining and investing in the well-being of workers.

Citing the Accord as an example of collaborative approaches between buyers and suppliers, Shawn Islam, CEO, Sparrow Group of Industries and member of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) said:

“The Accord worked out wonderfully; it is a good example of how a collaborative approach between suppliers and buyers with the government’s support can really make a tremendous difference. We have made a lot of progress since 2013 and have become one of the safest places to produce garments in terms of electrical safety, structural safety, and fire safety.”

View the recorded session here.

In addition, the International Accord participated in the side session Ensuring local stakeholder- and worker-inclusive supply chain grievance mechanisms organised by Fairwear Foundation, CNV Internationaal and Bündnis für nachhaltige Textilien (Partnership for Sustainable Textiles) on 13 February 2023.

The session was attended by over 200 participants and discussed the approaches to improve the effectiveness and accessibility of grievance mechanisms for workers. Moderated by Dr. Jennifer Zerk, the session included insights from Fair Wear’s Valentine Wolfram, Suzan Cornelissen of CNV Internationaal, Elly Rosita from KSBSI, Emma Vogt from Clean Clothes Campaign, and Joris Oldenziel, Executive Director from International Accord.

View the recorded session here.


Resources

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OECD side session: Expansion of the International Accord to Pakistan

Accord

February 17, 2023

Event

The OECD Forum on Due Diligence in the Garment and Footwear Sector was held online and offline (Paris, France) from 13-17 February 2023. The OECD forum brought together representatives from government, business, trade unions, and civil society to promote transparency and due diligence in global garment supply chains.

The International Accord organised a virtual side session as part of this forum on 13 February to discuss the challenges & opportunities for the recently launched Pakistan Accord. Around 110 participants across academia, media, government, industry associations and clothing brands joined this session.

Moderated by Joris Oldenziel, Executive Director of the International Accord, the session featured a distinguished panel of speakers who shared their perspectives on how best to implement the Pakistan Accord, so it works for and benefits everyone. The speakers reflected on the workplace safety program in Bangladesh and discussed how its learnings can be best adapted and applied to the Pakistan Accord.

Highlighting the key impact of the Accord on the Bangladeshi textile and garment industry, Masarrat Quader, H&M Group, and member of the Accord Steering Committee, shared that the safety assessments and trainings at nearly 1200 garment factories covered by the Accord have contributed to making Bangladesh one of the safest sourcing destinations in the world and have promoted responsible business conduct throughout the brands’ supply chains.

Christina Hajagos Clausen, IndustriALL Global Union and member of the International Accord Steering Committee, added that the Accord has put workers and industrial relations at the centre of the global conversation on a safer garment sector. She added that the Accord’s transparency mechanisms introduced in Bangladesh have encouraged more global brands and retailers to be open about their supplier lists, auditing reports and remediation plans. Furthermore, she underlined the critical role of the Accord complaints mechanism in ensuring workers have a way to raise concerns and safeguard their own health and safety at work.

Usman Rasheed, Taiga Apparel (Pvt.) Ltd (Pakistan), emphasised that instilling a culture of workplace safety, a trained workforce, and robust buyer-supplier relationships would be central to building a safer textile and garment industry in Pakistan.

Contextualising his experience with the Accord, Mohammed Sohel, Managing Director at Bangla Poshak Limited (Accord-covered factory) shared that the health and safety improvements made under and with the support of the workplace programs have contributed to doubling his factory’s turnover from $5 million to $10 million since 2013. He also highlighted the initial challenges faced by factories in Bangladesh and the importance of ensuring clear communication on safety requirements and financial support for remediation under the Pakistan Accord.

Bushra Baten, PVH Corp. (Bangladesh and Pakistan) underscored the shift in perspective on workplace health and safety as the biggest achievement of the Accord in Bangladesh. Her recommendations on the Accord implementation in Pakistan included open dialogue and consistent engagement with local stakeholders at every stage.

Kaschif Israr, Euro Centra (Pakistan), emphasised that health & safety improvement is an important mission for the industry and reiterated the need for proactive engagement with the Pakistani industry and creating open dialogue with factory owners to address their questions and bring all factories along on the journey.

We thank the panel for sharing their experience and insights on wide-ranging topics and look forward to continuing our engagement in the coming days.

The recorded session can be viewed here.


More information

Related updates

Read the International Accord, Bangladesh Safety Program and Pakistan Accord Agreements

Explore the International Accord framework agreement and its country-specific Addendums, the Bangladesh Safety Agreement, and the Pakistan Accord.

Read More

First Safety Inspections Under the Pakistan Accord

The International Accord conducted the first round of initial inspections at factories supplying to Pakistan Accord brands in Lahore and Karachi between 16 – 28 October 2023.

Read More

Agreement on International Accord Framework for Health and Safety Programs

Global brands and trade unions have renewed the International Accord to enhance health and safety in supply chains in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and other countries in the future.

Read More

Join the conversation on a safer clothing industry